as in sharpened
having an edge thin enough to cut or pierce something
using a finely honed butcher knife will make cutting meat easier
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in whetted
to make sharp or sharper
honed the knife's blade to razor-like sharpness honed his crossword-puzzle skills by reading the dictionary as though it were a thrilling novel
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in rubbed
to make smooth by friction
honed the edge of the axe until it was amazingly sharp
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of honed
Tracey McManus, Dallas Morning News, 5 Feb. 2026
Learning to Engage McMillon has an almost professorial air that’s articulate, polite and exudes competence — but his skill set was honed by long years of experience.
—Evan Clark, Footwear News, 3 Feb. 2026
Leathered and soft-honed finishes will replace ultra-glossy finishes, and natural stone with movement and depth will replace flat, one-dimensional countertop materials.
—Cori Sears, The Spruce, 30 Jan. 2026
The students used actual equipment but honed their skills on the gym’s wood floor.
—Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026
Both honed their chops playing in Havana in their native Cuba before immigrating to the United States and attracting an international audience.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Jan. 2026
Bring these elements home through smooth-finish tiles, honed countertops, and matte finishes.
—Kathy Barnes, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Jan. 2026
The spa Jumeirah’s signature spa offering, Talise, has been honed to perfection here—set across three floors, with a women’s only section, 13 treatment rooms, a 20-meter indoor pool and a remedy suite that offers an iDome, hyperbaric oxygen chamber, and cryotherapy, among other facilities.
—Selina Denman, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Jan. 2026
Below are key steps to take to build your organization’s blueprint around the norms, types of thinking and skills that veterans have honed during their years of serving in one of the largest global employers in the world.
—Heather V. MacArthur, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Verb
These international operations depend on bloodlines honed over generations by American breeders, law enforcement and animal welfare officials say.
—Tracey McManus, Dallas Morning News, 5 Feb. 2026
Learning to Engage McMillon has an almost professorial air that’s articulate, polite and exudes competence — but his skill set was honed by long years of experience.
—Evan Clark, Footwear News, 3 Feb. 2026
Leathered and soft-honed finishes will replace ultra-glossy finishes, and natural stone with movement and depth will replace flat, one-dimensional countertop materials.
—Cori Sears, The Spruce, 30 Jan. 2026
The students used actual equipment but honed their skills on the gym’s wood floor.
—Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026
Both honed their chops playing in Havana in their native Cuba before immigrating to the United States and attracting an international audience.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Jan. 2026
Bring these elements home through smooth-finish tiles, honed countertops, and matte finishes.
—Kathy Barnes, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Jan. 2026
The spa Jumeirah’s signature spa offering, Talise, has been honed to perfection here—set across three floors, with a women’s only section, 13 treatment rooms, a 20-meter indoor pool and a remedy suite that offers an iDome, hyperbaric oxygen chamber, and cryotherapy, among other facilities.
—Selina Denman, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Jan. 2026
Below are key steps to take to build your organization’s blueprint around the norms, types of thinking and skills that veterans have honed during their years of serving in one of the largest global employers in the world.
—Heather V. MacArthur, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for honed
Verb
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Duah and Tverskov said the three-and-a-half-week training camp sharpened efforts to cash in on corner kicks and other set pieces.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
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Charlie’s prevailing disgust with his fellow-officers, most of whom all but openly take part in a human-trafficking operation, is sharpened when a young migrant from Mexico, named Maria, has her infant stolen while they’re being held in a detention camp.—
Alexander Nazaryan,
New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Johnson sighed and rubbed a hand over her head in relief.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
10 Feb. 2026
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Diners here can feast upon things like duck fat frites for brunch and espresso-rubbed steaks for dinner.—
Iona Brannon,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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That's partly correlation -- healthier people are more likely to work than sicker people -- but staying in the workplace can also help people stay sharp, according to Debra Whitman, chief public policy officer for AARP.—
Paige Winfield Cunningham The Washington Post,
Arkansas Online,
9 Feb. 2026
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The tension in a luge sled allows athletes to manipulate it just so, digging in the runners and steering with sharp precision around curves.—
Lindsay Schnell,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Treat knows exactly what works for long hours, quick turnarounds, and plenty of walking, all while still looking polished enough to fit seamlessly into a travel outfit.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Feb. 2026
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Set the scene Set on a leafy corner of Recoleta, close enough to the action but removed from the tourist hubbub, Sofitel is polished without being stuffy, the kind of place where everyone looks put-together even at breakfast.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Justice Department filed the affidavit to a Georgia federal court for release to the public on the order of a federal judge, who instructed government lawyers to make redactions to shield the names of nongovernmental witnesses.—
Aysha Bagchi,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
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That lawsuit, which was filed in Texas, sued Watson for $1 million in damages.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Honed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/honed. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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